Applying for a passport can be a confusing tangle of forms. Completing them correctly and providing the documentation requested can speed up your United States passport application. It can also save you several hours of repeat visits, and eliminate frustration.

Passports can be renewed by mail under certain conditions. If it was issued less than 15 years ago and is undamaged, you may not have to apply in person. Your current passport must also have been issued when you were 16 years of age or older. It should bear your current name, or you must furnish legal documentation of the name change.

Mail order renewals make take 10 or 12 weeks to process during the busy season. During slow times, you should still allow 4 to 6 weeks. Expedited service can be requested for an additional , which will cut the processing time in half. When mailing in your application, include all passport forms required, pack it in a weather-proof mailer, and opt for tracking services.

If you have never had a passport, or if it has been more than 15 years since you received one, you have to apply at the issuing site. This is also the case if the age limit of 16 cannot be met. If your current passport has been damaged, stolen, or lost, you must also apply in person. Also, anyone with a name change he or she cannot document must make personal application.

There are several regional passport offices across the country, but they may be hundreds of miles away. Therefore, most people choose to apply at a post office or with their county clerk. Hours of operation vary by office, but the documents you must provide are the same. You must provide proof of U.S. Citizenship, such as an embossed birth certificate, a certificate of citizenship, or a notice of naturalization. An undamaged passport also serves this purpose. If you are a U.S. Citizen who was born in another country, a report from the consul or a birth certificate may be used.

You must also prove your identity. A passport can do double duty and fulfill this requirement as well as proving your citizenship. A state issued ID card or driver’s license will also suffice. However, if your license is from a different state than the one in which you are applying for a passport, you must provide secondary identification. The agency will accept a social security card, a credit card in your name, or an identification card from your employer. Whatever forms of identification you plan to use, take along a photocopy of both sides of the document. Do not make two sided copies.

Photographs are one area that lead to many rejections. You will need two identical photos, each 2 x 2 and in color. They cannot be more than 6 months old and should show how you currently appear. They must be full face frontal views. The space between the bottom of the chin and the top of the head must fall between one inch and one and three-eighths inches. You should wear your normal style of dress and pose against a white or near-white background. If you normally wear glasses or a wig, you should wear them in the picture. No hats are to be worn, and ladies should refrain from hair trims that hide the hair or hairline.

Children, emergency passports, and passports for those traveling on official business all have varying requirements, and no attempt has been made to address them in this article. But for the typical traveler, this information should help make your U.S. passport application go more smoothly. The most important thing to remember is to assemble your passport form and take it with you when you go to apply.

When travelling outside of the United States, you need to present a valid US passport. It is necessary to have a US passport even if you are traveling to bordering countries such as Canada and Mexico. The process involved in assembling and submitting a passport application can be daunting, but with attention to detail it is simple enough.

The first step towards getting your US passport is to visit a US post office or download the passport application online and print it out. If you are printing the application from your computer, then you need to print it in black ink on white paper as no other version will be accepted. Paper that you print the application form on must be 8 1/2 X 11 inches on a matte finish.

In order to be awarded a U.S. passport application, you will need to provide proof of US citizenship. Acceptable forms of proof according to US government regulations include a certified US birth certificate, a naturalization certificate or US citizenship certificate. You may also be requested to prove your identity with a US passport, driver’s license or some form of state or federal identification.

Along with your passport application you will also need to provide two acceptable passport photos that have been taken within the last six months. There are strict requirements about what is passable when it comes to these photos. You should not have any type of head covering; if you wear glasses, then you will need to remove them; civilian clothes only and the lighting and centering of the shot also need to be just right.

If you are planning to travel, then it is best to apply for your passport as soon as possible. Due to a heavy workload, there are times when the issue of passports can be delayed. The issuing agent in the United States recommends applying for your passport around 12 weeks before you intend to travel. This will give you time to correct any potential errors in the passport application too. If you need to, you can pay extra to have the passport issued more rapidly than normal.

When you have sent off your passport application you can monitor its progress via the state department website. Before you send the application form, ensure that you have attached all necessary paperwork and that the forms are completely filled in and accurate. If there are items missing or you have made mistakes, then the application will be knocked back.

The fees for US passports are 0 for adults and for children. If you want to have the passport application processed more quickly, then you will need to pay an additional fee of . For first time passport applicants you will need to fill out the DS-11 form and this cannot be sent through the mail, but needs to be submitted in person.

When filling in the new passport application form, be sure to include all the required information, adequate photos and the right fee. If you do this, then you will not have a problem in having your application approved for a passport. Around 10 per cent of applicants experience problems because they have not included all the right details.